Fear for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has prompted DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang to abandon Penang for the upcoming general election, said Perak MCA chief Ong Ka Chuan today.

He said the former Parliamentary opposition leader decided to shift to Perak since Abdullah - who is from Penang - became the premier last October.

Ong added that the veteran politician would continue to move from one constituency to another in search of a suitable seat for him to establish his influence after he was rejected in Penang.

"The Prime Minister has wide influence because his appointment gave the confidence to the people that more development will come to Penang," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

Lim will be contesting the Ipoh Timor parliamentary seat in Perak against Barisan Nasional's (BN) MCA incumbent Thong Fah Chong and Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (Keadilan) Dr Lee Boon Chye.

In the 1999 election, Thong won the seat with a 2,127 vote-majority, defeating Perak DAP chief Ngeh Khoo Ham.

Meanwhile, Ong said the DAP chief was contesting in Ipoh Timor because he could not bring the kind of development to Penang which Abdullah is capable of.

On why he is not contesting the seat, the MCA leader said: "I cannot contest in Ipoh Timor because Thong is a hardworking member of parliament and he will defend the seat."

"Nevertheless, I will assist him because Batu Gajah and Ipoh Timor are side-by-side," added the elder brother of MCA president Ong Ka Ting.

He will be contesting in the Batu Gajah parliamentary seat against DAP incumbent Fong Poh Kuan.

DAP launchpad

In an immediate response, Lim refuted the claim that he was moving from Penang because he was afraid and described it as more of a political strategy.

"In the last 35 years, I have move from incumbent parliamentary seats four times and state seats three times. It was not to go for an easier seat but to reach greater political height," he said when contacted.

He added the issue of opting for a safe seat does not arise as if this was the case, he would re-contest the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat which he lost by a mere 104 votes in the last polls as opposed to Ipoh Timor, where the DAP candidate was defeated by more than 2,000 votes.

"We (DAP) want to make Perak our second frontline state and Ipoh Timor is the launching pad for Kinta Valley's three parliamentary and nine state seats which we are targeting to be the bastion for freedom of democracy and clean governance," he said.

On the same note, he did acknowledge that having a new prime minister will create a 'feel good' effect, which the BN is banking on.